eBay International Shipping (eIS) - sounds great!
Summary: The discussion centers around eBay's new International Shipping (eIS) initiative, which aims to replace the Global Shipping Programme. streapalba introduces the topic, praising its features of lower fees, no returns, and tracked shipping. Concerns are raised by *vyolla* and others about how the program handles 'not as described' (INAD) returns, which another participant clarifies are managed by eBay at its own cost. Participants express amazement at eBay taking full responsibility for refunds and discuss possible implications for abuse, detailed processes for VAT, and combining postage for multiple items. Other users inquire about maximum parcel value and country restrictions, with responses noting a cap of £900 and certain countries being excluded. There are questions about the program's costs, potential opt-ins, and effects on businesses, highlighting both optimism and concerns about the rollout.
This looks like an amazing innovation from ebay.
Lower fees, no returns, tracked postage & shipping.
What could possibly go wrong?
jonjanedavis
·1 week agoI list books on ebay via Auctiva. Sometimes I list specifying Global Shipping Programme. Other times I set my own international rates. Will all these listings migrate to eIS?
sml192
·1 week agoYes, items listed with GSP should automatically migrate to eIS. You will also be able to set your own shipping method alongside eIS if you wish.
jonjanedavis
·1 week agoBut not items without gsp? Ie with my own rates.
sml192
·1 week agoIn theory listings that you have opted out of GSP should remain opted out for eIS but best to double check once your account has been migrated over to eIS. Your own shipping method/rates should remain intact regardless of whether or not the listing is opted into eIS.
jonjanedavis
·1 week agoThank you. Very helpful.
avagojoe
·2 weeks agoeIS limit of £900 needs to be higher.
avagojoe
·2 weeks agoPlease can someone explain why the eIS program is capped at £900. I also have been waiting to list a couple of higher value items internationally which would sell well in the USA, but it looks like they will not be covered if I create my own postage when the new eIS springs comes in. This is like a step backwards instead of improvement on the old GSP.
sml192
·2 weeks agoAlmost certainly due to the enhanced protection that eBay are providing in regards to return. The limit may get increased once eBay has had the opportunity to assess the potential impact of this.
western-electrical-supplies
·2 weeks ago · EditedSome of the best sales for our business have been commercial equipment to international buyers worth well over the £900 limit. I would be keen to see this limit increased to the £5000-10000 we had with GSP for certain countries, particularly the US, Canada, Australia.
Altogether hopefully this will be offset by an increase in international customers on lower value items.
technthread
·2 weeks ago · EditedI didn’t realise there was a £900 cap with EIS you pointed it out here.
I have been holding off listing an item that would be in the £4,000 range and will most likely go to a US buyer so am kicking myself now that I haven’t listed it with mere days left before GSP stops.
Could anyone who is used to how higher value items on GSP currently work confirm what happens if you auction an item at a low start bid and the bidding goes over the cap for particular countries? Do the international bidders from those countries all of a sudden stop being able to bid? In short is there any workaround to getting higher value items through on GSP and what will soon be EIS?
cheekychippy210
·3 weeks agonot looking forward to it! two weeks ago, international shipping, I had to complete a customs form which was made harded as it asked for tarrif code. spent around 40mins trying to find a code. I hope ebay address this if they are pushing it. I dont think there is an opt out either!
sml192
·3 weeks ago · EditedAll of the customs paperwork will be dealt with by eBay, as it currently is for the GSP, and the fees will either be charged to the buyer at checkout or on delivery.
kermit_de_frog
·3 weeks agoWhats the ponit in restricting countries if you get to keep 100% of the sale for any reason if the buyer opens a return?
department28
·3 weeks agoPeople have all sorts of personal/ethical reasons why they do not wish to sell to some countries.
g1dgl
·3 weeks agoCurrently I use GSP, but I exclude a significant number of countries. I understand that once I am transferred to eIS then my restrictions will be cancelled and I might receive orders from any of 195 countries.
eBay state that I will be able to re-apply country restrictions in my postage preferences, but will this apply only to new listings? I don't fancy going through all 50 odd current listings and updating the excluded countries list in each case.
bzmotman
·3 weeks agokat@ebay a couple of clarifications please.
Can you please provide a list of those countries that EIS will not deliver to.
The announcement says more than 195 countries covered. Yet Wikipedia says 193 are members of the UN plus 2 observers.
This suggests that Ebay will be delivering to countries such as Russia, Belarus etc - can this be right or is this part of the announcement PR hype/wrong? Also as Ebay is a US company will the countries that EIS deliver to be compatible with US or UK sanctions.
Combined items - As far as I know the Ebay app still doesn't allow buyers to request combined invoices so how will it work if they buy 5 BINs & have to pay separately. Will they pay 5 lots of EIS charges? if so how do they get a refund or are 5 separate letters/parcels sent?
Also I note that apparently auctions are excluded so presumably a buyer who buys an auction item & then adds several BINs, common for me, will not be able to use EIS for the auction but could for the BINs.
Potentially a useful service but more detail is needed.
sml192
·3 weeks ago · EditedThere is a list of the countries and territories (they are counting territories as separate countries) that you can send to with eIS on the US site help page. Russia and Belarus are not on the list.
Combined shipping does work on the app, in most cases, so no reason why it shouldn't work with eIS (the buyer will just need to place all the items in their basket and the postage should then be combined automatically if eligible; no need to request an invoice).
kat@ebay
Hi @bzmotman ,
Apologies for the delay in my reply. I have followed up with the shipping team for more details.
eIS will not ship to Russia or Belarus. Countries it will not be delivering to will be Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Bhutan, Eritrea, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen.
eIS will be compatible with both US and UK sanctions.
Combined orders in the same basket will form one EIS order. Auctions are not excluded from eIS. Auction and BIN purchases are both supported by eIS but they have to part of separate orders.
Hope this is helpful.
Thank you,
Kat
bzmotman
·2 weeks agoThank you for reply.
vintage-emporium-jedburgh
·3 weeks agoI wonder how they will approach the empty box scam
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoBan the perpetrators hopefully. Then price it in to fees across their platform, like most businesses price for losses.
dougbat20
·3 weeks agoRight, so I received an email about this being in the new terms and conditions.
I currently do not sell internationally, and do not want to either.
Is there a way of turning this off or making sure I do not get forced into it?
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoAll of this is on the ebay International Shipping Page
How do I opt my account out of eBay International Shipping?
If you don’t want to sell any items internationally, you can manage your listing settings. To opt out of eBay International Shipping on all your listings, go to My eBay account > Postage Preferences > eBay Shipping Options, then select “Opt out of the eIS Programme” and submit.
They also state
Do I need to do anything to switch to eBay International Shipping (eIS) from Global Shipping Programme (GSP)?
No. We are enrolling sellers in phases. Your eligible listings will automatically update to eIS and GSP will no longer be available. For new listings, list as usual. Nothing changes in how you sell.
Though I wouldn't assume that just because one is not enrolled in the GSP that you won't be enrolled in the eIS program.
trevcald
·3 weeks agoi can think of one the USA requires certain goods to be licenced where in the UK they don't an the auto enrol to EIS something that's not needed will flag these items US trademark rules apply listings become non‑compliant VeRO takedowns become possible for goods only intended for the UK marketplace- yeah US rules and UK rules not the same
the_book_seekers
·3 weeks agoSomething to keep watch for is when elS goes live will ebay automatically enroll everyone requiring sellers to opt out.
bzmotman
·2 weeks agoNew T&Cs say "You may opt out of the Programme at an account level by adjusting your account settings within My eBay. Your opt out may take up to 72 hours to process and will not apply to any existing listings restricted from revision (including where there are pending bids or a pending best offer)."
the_book_seekers
·2 weeks agoIt would be helpful for many if ebay were to send out a message to sellers as elS goes live. The first some will know about it is when a sale takes place.
sml192
·2 weeks agoIt does state in the announcement that 'You’ll receive a separate notification confirming your exact enrolment date before your account moves, so you’ll know when the change applies to you'.
department28
·3 weeks agoIt would be interesting to know how many INAD cases will result in the buyer being asked to return the item to eBay/'the third party', compared to how many will be allowed to keep the item and receive a refund - even if the seller suspects the buyer is trying it on. Will the seller have no say at all in INAD cases?
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoWhy should they given ebay handle it and the seller keeps the funds?
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoeBay states that returns are returned to a third-party service provider. This sounds like a similar setup to the Authenticity Guarantee - the item is examined before being forwarded so if a different item is returned eBay will know about it and be able to act on any suspicions they have.
That said, I don't expect eBay will want every item back. If an item arrives damaged and the picture suggests it is the same item that was sent I suspect eBay will just refund without requiring return. Ditto for low-value items where INAD is claimed and the cost of returning is uneconomical compared to any resale value.
camerapartsuk
·3 weeks ago · EditedThis does sound great, the fact that they are saying that they will be the people who the item is returned to in case of a fault or a refund is requested, this is what Europe asked for and many of us small businesses struggled to provide.
Does this mean that this service allows small businesses to sell again to Europe (and Northern Ireland)? Where previously we had all excluded Europe from sales due to the amount of hoops we had to jump through
fribblecollectables
·3 weeks agoTwo bits sound interesting personally.
“8. Will eIS affect my existing carrier arrangements and negotiated rates?
No. eIS runs alongside your existing setup — it doesn’t replace it. Your established rates show first when they’re lower.”
So if I understand this correctly:
For example, if I charge £3 postage to France and eIS charges £5, my own £3 service would be shown first, and I would remain responsible for sending the parcel internationally and completing the customs documentation myself.
However, if eIS charges only £2, the eIS option should be shown first and the parcel then be sent through the eIS hub?
Also, this bit: "However, you can choose to be more restrictive if you do not want your items to be available in certain international locations."
I also have regular customers in three particular countries whose orders I would prefer to handle myself for various reasons. From what I understand, I can switch off eIS for those countries and continue arranging the postage and customs paperwork directly.
That would mean I would handle orders from any other buyers in those countries myself, which would not be a problem. For example, I send roughly one parcel a month to a regular customer in Kazakhstan, and I have only ever had one other order from a different buyer there in years.
fullers_uk
·3 weeks agoI ship most of my items for free worldwide with tracking going to be interesting how this will eat into my listings and destroy them.
sml192
·3 weeks ago · EditedYou will still be able to offer your own shipping alongside eIS, or opt out of eIS altogether if you wish. If both options are offered to the buyer then the cheapest option will be shown to them first.
oceanartsnorthdevon
·3 weeks agoDoes it combine postage for the buyer if they purchase multiple items on one purchase? Or does it charge postage for each item purchased from a seller?
technthread
·3 weeks agoProbably won’t combine. If it did they would make a big deal out of it.
fribblecollectables
·3 weeks agoHelp pages say:
"25. How do I manage multi-order items?
When a buyer purchases multiple items from the seller in one session, it is one order. Sellers must ship all items from the order together in a single package using a single domestic shipping label. Sellers should not split orders into multiple packages or apply more than one label to the group. Also, sellers should not combine multiple different orders in one package. These situations will lead to inaccurate order tracking for buyers."
oceanartsnorthdevon
·3 weeks agoClassed as one order when purchased and shipped together but are they charging the buyer multiple postage costs for each item individually or giving them a combined postage discount? Not very clear?
fullers_uk
·3 weeks agoWhat they havnt said is if you sell a shirt and a pair of trousers that would be 2 different HS codes, two customs entries and two charges.
sml192
·3 weeks agoThe customs charges will all be dealt with by eBay, or paid on delivery, so not sure what point you are trying to make here?
sml192
·3 weeks agoPostage will be combined provided the items are purchased in a single transaction:
'25. How do I manage multi-order items?
When a buyer purchases multiple items from the seller in one session, it is one order. Sellers must ship all items from the order together in a single package using a single domestic shipping label. Sellers should not split orders into multiple packages or apply more than one label to the group. Also, sellers should not combine multiple different orders in one package. These situations will lead to inaccurate order tracking for buyers.'
technthread
·3 weeks ago · EditedI wonder if it is multiples of the same item?
I always thought unique items couldn’t be combined with GSP. I may be totally wrong but I would have thought items with different codes and maybe manufactured in different countries would be a customs issue, especially into the states with the changing tariffs.
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoIt doesn't matter; the eIS hub will sort everything out in terms of the customs declaration whether it's 10 of the same item or 10 disparate items.
technthread
·3 weeks agoYes I see what you mean, that’s the domestic postage side. I was thinking more whether the buyer can pay the equivalent of 1 lot of postage for multiple lots or whether the hub re-packages each item into its own parcel.
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoI strongly suspect they package everything into one consignment so the buyer effectively gets a combined shipping rate.
The eIS partner would consolidate multiple individual consignments (orders) into one master consignment that is destined for a particular country. This would lessen their overall shipping charges so there's no logical reason for the eIS partner to send a multiple item order in separate consignments.
sml192
·3 weeks agoThis is what the US help page states re. combined postage which provides a bit more clarity (same text on the Canadian help page):
'Combined shipping
If a buyer purchases multiple items from you, the order will automatically be combined if it's eligible for combined shipping. There are several reasons why shipping can't be combined when sending items through eBay International Shipping. For example, combined shipping won’t be applied if:
The order costs more than $1000 USD
The listing is in auction-style format
The item is purchased through Best Offer or an offer sent by the seller
The items exceed the program’s package limits
If the buyer is paying import fees at checkout for some items and paying import fees on delivery for other items in the same order, the shipping won’t be combined.'
Note, there is now an equivalent help page on the UK site but that still appears to be under construction so is currently missing alot of information.
bzmotman
·2 weeks agoIn the newly published T&Cs it says "For export control purposes, as the Seller, you are the exporter and remain responsible for all export reporting obligations under applicable law (including but not limited to the Export Control Act 2002)."
So yes they do all customs declarations etc but the seller remains liable if there is an error.
jjambadger27
·3 weeks agoThe maximum value for items is £900, which is much less than the US limit of $2500 - so what happens if an item sells for more than £900?
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoBINs and auctions starting over £900 will not be eligible for eIS so eIS will not be available on such listings.
The £900 limit is excluding duties, taxes, BPF (where private sellers are concerned) and shipping charges. I don't think many auctions are going to start below then cross the £900 threshold given the original eIS price shown would be the DDU price for an international buyer.
the_book_seekers
·3 weeks agoStarting from August 2026, eBay International Shipping (eIS) will begin replacing the Global Shipping Programme for eligible listings on eBay.co.uk
The initial statement says 'will begin replacing' does this mean the introduction will be phased in ?
It all sounds very good and it does interest, but as a business seller I'm not sure this would open up the EU due to the regulatory considerations.
avagojoe
·3 weeks agoPlease can you tell me what are the maximum parcel dimensions, and maximum value of items sending from UK internationally via the new eIS?
sml192
·3 weeks agoThe information provided at present doesn't mention anything about maximum parcel dimensions but presumably it will be similar to those for the current GSP. The maximum value for items is stated as £900 (excluding BPF and postage).
vintage-seller01
·3 weeks agoJust read about this and it sounds great. Is it going to be cheaper than current Global Shipping Programme eBay has at the moment.
rainbowtrax
·3 weeks agoI've been waiting for this to roll out here to see what the charges are like for buyers on small lightweight items. If it's not prohibitively expensive for buyers then it seems like a no-brainer.
wellingnorth
·3 weeks agoDefinitely interested to see what the costs for this will look like - Vinted are able to offer shipping from the USA to UK for circa £4 on a coat while currently also covering the import VAT as well so hopefully with ebay's scale they can work out something similar!
*vyolla*
·3 weeks agoCan't work out what happens with 'not as described' returns, is the shipping hub checking every item before it goes out to the buyer so every sale is final, or have eBay simply failed to address that particular scenario?
Protection remains after the hub: Once your parcel is scanned at the hub, eBay takes over. You’re protected from lost, damaged or delayed item claims.
Returns fully handled by eBay: Once your parcel is scanned at the domestic hub, your sale is final. If a buyer opens a return, eBay handles the buyer refund at no cost to you. You do not need to receive, inspect or process the returned item yourself.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoReading that - I'd say Returns means all returns, for any reason.
sml192
·3 weeks agoThe eBay International Shipping program (EIS) has been operational in the US and Canada for a few years now. Assuming that it works the same here as in those countries then sellers will be protected against all returns, including INADs, as per the following (taken from the US help page):
'You're protected from:
The obligation to refund the buyer
eBay Money Back Guarantee cases
Payment disputes
Open 'Not as described' returns in your service metrics
Negative or neutral feedback related to item handling during international shipping'
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoI'm frankly amazed that eBay are going to be willing to assume all responsibility for refunding remorse returns and disposing of the item.
It really does sound like a huge improvement over GSP. Hopefully eBay will have a better process for VAT registered businesses to obtain proof of export than asking for it then hoping it materialises as is the case under GSP. Whilst I never had a problem obtaining proof of export for my GSP orders there have been several threads over the years where VAT registered sellers seemed unable to obtain it.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoCan I ask what the process was to obtain proof of export? It’s one of the questions for my place of enployment. We switched it off for various reasons, one of which was the change in policy around treating the orders as UK for VAT purposes.
I though the tracking evidence would be enough, but interested to hear what the process was.
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoThe forward tracking alone is not sufficient as it does not show a description of the goods. You have to ask eBay's customer services for proof of export (you need to specifically ask for that). From memory they provide Pitney Bowes' commercial invoice to the buyer which allows everything to be tied up.
Note it has been a long time (2 years plus) since I had to request proof of export but there really should be an easier way when a seller is VAT registered such as providing a link to download the CI.
4_bathrooms
·3 weeks agoI've just spotted this in the FAQ:
"I’m VAT-registered. What do I need to know?
Items shipped under UK eIS are considered to be exports for UK VAT purposes, the same as GSP. eBay exports the item on behalf of the seller. eIS provides proof-of-export data for your VAT records."
Whilst it doesn't state whether the proof of export is provided automatically or still has to be requested it is at least mentioned.
technthread
·3 weeks ago · EditedI'm frankly amazed that eBay are going to be willing to assume all responsibility for refunding remorse returns and disposing of the item.
Presumably whoever ends up with these items from eBay for re-sale will figure if someone was prepared to pay import charges and shipping overseas there will be a lot of meat on the bones to make a profit on them. Whatever arrangements eBay have for the liquidation of the items might not be too costly, maybe it will even beneficial for them.
On paper EIS sounds like a positive for buyers and sellers. It might even prompt a few more sellers to jump through the hoops to sell into Europe again.
kat@ebay
Hi @*vyolla* ,
Thank you for your post.
Confirming that it is all returns including 'not as described' returns.
Thank you,
Kat
sml192
·3 weeks agoMany thanks for confirming that Kat.
*vyolla*
·3 weeks agoThat's amazing, what a great new system.
Thanks Kat.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoReally good update Kat. Should be praising when something is good as much as we moan when it’s not!
Far more important this than complaints that a forum update isn’t to people’s taste.
streapalba
OP3 weeks agoHello Kat - is the new service only applicable to parcels or does it include packages classified by royal mail as "large letters"? Thanks
kat@ebay
Hi @streapalba ,
Thank you for your reply.
It also includes large letters.
Thank you,
Kat
streapalba
OP3 weeks agoThats great - thanks
vinylscot
·3 weeks agoHow quickly do you think certain sellers will take advantage of that?
It sounds great for genuine sellers, but doesn't seem very logical for eBay to be funding such returns. (although it would recently have saved me £40 in lost postage fees after an Australian buyer changed his mind, and claimed INAD).
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agolaw of averages. it won't be a considerable percentage of users that actually make claims (and in some cases those returns items are presumably going to be sold by ebay)
vinylscot
·3 weeks agoI get that, and I can see that something a little less complete seems to be working on Simple Delivery (I wonder how much of an increase there has been in "Item arrived damaged" claims), but the potential for abuse is certainly there. Buyers will be much more likely to raise return requests once they realise that eBay will be funding the refunds, and there will undoubtedly be collusion between individuals in different countries, who know each other. Yes 95% of transactions (maybe higher) will go through without incident, but this seems to be opening the door for the dishonest minority.
davrman
·3 weeks agoYes – the returned items are being sold on to a third party by eBay.
vinylscot
·3 weeks agoI'm sure they'll review the whole thing if it seems that the obvious loopholes are being exploited.